Someone should tell the general public that, so I might as well be "that guy". That might seem like acerbic wit, but please allow me to explain. Now before you drag me out into the streets, let me shine some light on how the way I see the creative process. Most people want a design done •perfect •cheap •fast. I am not saying that great design cannot be attained quickly, but I am saying that is not typical.

There are designers that are very fast at creating: speed-painters, concept artists, and print media designers must be fast and precise in order to sustain a career. Design is a highly competitive industry and there's no doubt fierce competition. There's no shortage of talent because we are all creative creatures. Here's a recent post of mine called 7 Ways to Complete YOUR Creative Circuit 🧠 In-Depth 'How-To' on Enhancing Your Inner-Creative!, which explains what I mean (in-depth).

There is, without a doubt, great confusion surrounding the creative process. There is no singular process that we can refer to, but there are many explanations on the web that can offer a better understanding of the process. I created a visual map back in 2013 that I still find to be incredibly insightful in aiding larger-scale projects. I edited it slightly to bring it up to date. I've had a few years to refine it, so I did exactly that.

Without having gone through this process enough times to be able to pan out and see 'from above', it is nearly impossible to understand. Those who cannot identify the mechanics of the process, surely cannot comprehend the process as a whole (how the process works, what components and steps make the process, etc). We inhabit a world where design is virtually in, on and around us constantly; yet many have no idea how these things come to be. If you would allow me, I'd love to explain a bit about how this process is non-linear and has no end. It begins at birth.

The Creative Process is Inherently Nonlinear

What do I mean by "creative process' and what is creativity? It would help to give those some shape and context rather than blindside you with my opinion. This will give you an idea of where I'm going with this:

"Creativity is the force behind innovation and invention. Creativity has been studied for many years and a variety of models and insights have been developed in order to understand and facilitate the creative process. " source

So many things can set in motion to be what we consider a "creative process", but like I said above; It begins at birth.
Birth is the ultimate trigger for the creative process.

Trigger: This is the problem or opportunity that initiates the creative process. The trigger could occur at home, work, play, or while traveling.

Ok, so how about birth?! Right? Seems like a viable trigger to me. Let's explore.

_{Figure 6.1 Creative Problem Solving and the Creative Star Model see below:}

The process above is just one of many simplified variations that have been published. I see birth as a trigger because the creative process has no real beginning or end. And when I say birth, I am not solely speaking of human life; the birth of an idea - conception.

Is This a Stochastic Process?

Design and creativity sure seem like a stochastic process, especially when compared to this definition:

A stochastic process is a random process evolving with time. More specifically, in probability theory, a stochastic process is a time sequence representing the evolution of some system represented by a variable whose change is subject to a random variation.

This is the probabilistic counterpart to a deterministic process (or deterministic system). Instead of describing a process which can only evolve in one way (as in the case, for example, of solutions of an ordinary differential equation), in a stochastic, or random process, there is some indeterminacy: even if the initial condition (or starting point) is known, there are several (often infinitely many) directions in which the process may evolve. ^{quotations via findwords.info}

What's the Point?

My point is that society values art devalues art and media. How ironic is it that in a world where more media is created than ever before and virtually every retail experience, drive down the road, a piece of mail we read, website we visit - ALL creative art and design. All of the visual information that our brains take in, every day, is by design. Photographers buy a $5,000 camera and people think they should get pictures for free. Why is art valued in such a way that we punish for creation instead of paying for it.

Real Creativity Takes Real Time

What is amazing is that people & corporations often generally want/expect the same three things when they hire for design:

• we want it now
• we want it cheap
• we want it perfect

That is not to ‘lump everyone all into one’, as this is not always the case. People would never do design work if it were all that bad! People certainly wouldn’t do it if it weren't possible to make a living. There is money to be made, but many freelancers will attest that the three things I mentioned above, is something we've all experienced. Not everyone appreciates art the same way.

I want it real creative and real fast!

Just as many of us wish certain things could be instantaneous, I wished that when I wanted to become a graphic design artist that I could have fast-forward past the mounds of expense and study. However, this is reality and the real world says that is wishful thinking. It is not like we can download skills (yet...).

We want it fast, cheap, perfect & yesterday! [motto of print media]

The world of design is fast, fast, fast. Print media, in my experience, is like 'I need that yesterday' fast. Most people want you to be highly skilled / educated, trustworthy, fast, and affordable. Hard to do when you need tens of thousands of dollars in program licensing, massive tuitions, and tens of thousands of hours. Believe me, I know.

Another reason I love freelancing on Steemit! I get to work with great people that I like and trust, we have a contract on the blockchain and I don’t have to keep buying STEEM on an external exchange and moving it. I freelance to power-up.

The creativity that each one of us possesses is remarkable​. We all have varying capacities, but that offers a little uniqueness. That's the beauty of it. However, equally ironic is the fact that we all possess creativity but not all of us with utilize it or realize it. What special trait of yours could help you earn STEEM? We have something to offer* #steemgigs motto.

What do I mean by REALIZE creativity?

Create something.

Most people are creative.

They just don't create.

That's ok, not all of us choose to harness that desire. What it should mean is that since there are only so many people doing it, that it should be seen as a skilled profession. Yet, in many cases, ​it is not. The value of skilled professionals can be seen in the quality of our visual​ world. Would you laugh if I told you a logo design cost BILLIONS of dollars per year, worldwide?

Fun Fact:

That BP was $211,000,000 - nearly quarter billion dollar logo. How's that for a paycheck?!

The cost of the logo was included as part of an overall brand redesign and remarketing efforts. source

These simple logos come from NOT SO SIMPLE design processes

In design, there is a reason for everything' color, shape, size, arrangement, etc. Everything has a purpose and none of this is an accident. The simple looking logos are the most complex sometimes. It might not appear that way to an untrained eye, but they aren't slapping some clipart together to make these. It's a process and in many cases a long one!

It's a lot of work

Rightfully so, it is a long process because it entails tremendous amounts of work. A company hires a designer or design team to create a logo - who knows the company best? The employee(s) of the company hiring for the logo OR the designer who knows virtually nothing about the company?

Obviously, ​the designer must first get to know the company, as well as the person hiring them,​ knows their company. How can anyone possibly define the face of a business that they know little about? Well, it's not impossible but it is so highly unlikely that you have a better chance of lightning striking you a dozen times today.

It's intense

The design process for a logo is intense work. As a designer, we must first submerse ourselves into the business, getting to know as much as possible about the company. Then, we must identify the audience and get into their 'mind's eye' to even understand what they see. Important to note when we must design for the audience and what they expect to see and want to see.

It's link mind-reading

Do you know the favorite movie of people you have never met? That is sort of what it is like for me as a designer, I have to get to know the client/business​ very well and communicate at great length in order to be able to best cater to their wants and needs.

It’s not easy, but nothing that is easy is worth doing

The process can be excruciatingly tedious and taxing - both physically and monetarily. That isn’t enough to keep most people away from doing it. It is a challenge and most designers love a challenge! Design is problem-solving​. That’s pretty much it. We solve problems by creating solutions. The creative process aids us, but does not start when we are hired for a project - it starts from the moment we are born.

There is something deeply invigorating about creating media for a client and receiving high praise and accolades for your work. When it is appreciated, it doesn’t much matter how much you earn. The feeling is what we chase in every design project. The gratification of doing something you enjoy for someone that greatly appreciates it is a great trade ​if you ask me.

The Creative Process is Eternal

This post will end here, but the creative process lives on. There is no beginning or end of the creative process. It is eternal. I think we steeply undervalue creativity and creators in our society, today. Creative people enhance our lives! Why not at least reconsider the way we value creative work?

I will be releasing a post tomorrow (Friday) morning about how this is all going to change! The way creative content and digital media is rewarded is about to change forever!!

^{proofreading service provided by @becometheartist}